


Tigerlily

by lluviadinoche



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Blind Character, Depression, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Relationship(s), character death on the side, learning to love again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 12:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30088788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lluviadinoche/pseuds/lluviadinoche
Summary: There are many things that Antonio expected in life; it was set for him in his mind. He'd continue with art, he'd sell some, maybe one day years from now he'd be known, he'd live a comfortable life and  he would simply be. However, things take a different route when a rather insufferable English major stumbles into his life and reminds him of what it feels like to live each day with passion.But Antonio is still Antonio and wine stained lips and hidden bottles are like venom to blossoming love. And who would Antonio be without a pride that mocks the idea of asking for help?___FIC PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE.A LOT OF CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE FROM THE ORIGINAL FIC BUT THE PREMISE IS THE SAME.
Relationships: South Italy/Spain (Hetalia)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Tigerlily

**Author's Note:**

> Like stated, this is a rewrite of my old fic More Than Meets the Eye. I wanted to finish it before rewriting - but I couldn't get myself to. I lost motivation to with how long it's been since I started it. So I am going in with a much clearer plan and plot :)
> 
> Characterizations have changed a bit to fit how I write both more and other things have been changed. But otherwise the fic follows the same story :)

**_~ 1 ~_ **

* * *

_ "Ridicule is the first and last argument of the fool" _

**_-Charles Simmons_ **

* * *

Antonio often wondered if respecting others was ever really about respect. Often, it felt like it was more about passiveness - something that he couldn’t stand.

He was a man so limited by pride and self that he was unable to function when he wasn’t first. Chases and whispers of things that didn’t matter which still stuck to the side of his brain. Dozens of somethings and millions of nothings that clogged up his senses and left him unable to think of ever being passive in the face of a brawl.

Currently, his senses were doing just that. He could feel the gravel under his fingers and the blood trickling down his left knee. He could feel the sting and the way the cool wind blowing against it only made it worse. 

And yet despite it, he thought that maybe he could brush it off and simply go about his way. Take the passive route for once and not dig a larger hole than necessary. Mistakes happened and bumping into people was to be expected in life. There were worse things to experience in the world and he knew that well.

And yet...

_ “Porca Madonna! What the fuck man?” _

What reason was there really to be civil in the face of hostility?

_ “God watch where you’re going! Asshole-” _

Any kindness or passiveness he might have spared this stranger went flying out the window. What was the need for this attitude anyway? Accidents happened all the time and really, given the fact he couldn’t exactly  _ see _ \- it was safe to assume this wasn’t exactly something that was his fault.

“Hellooo? Are you going to answer me or what?”

The more this stranger spoke, the more something inside him screamed and scraped against his brain.

Movies always painted this to be something cute - bumping into a stranger on campus. Classic love story meant to be. But this was the furthest thing from cute - it was infuriating more and more with each second that passed. Was he going to keep yelling if he didn’t answer?

Antonio’s face burned and lips curved down, twitching ever so slightly.

This was fine. He could-

“Are you deaf?”

Oh.

_ Well. _

He had  _ tried. _

_ Nobody could say Antonio hadn’t tried to hold his tongue. _

“No. But I am blind.” he said. He rubbed his palm against his jeans in a sad attempt to get the dirt off.

Silence. Beautiful silence.

It made him smirk and he had to bite it back from looking terrible from where he sat. It was always a pleasure to make rude people stumble. Perhaps he was taking too much enjoyment in this but really - if people were going to curse at him in the street, they really had to see this coming eventually. Not everyone was willing to be shoved and pushed without a care.

“Oh God…”

Antonio brushed himself off, the pounding in his head lessening as the stranger fell quiet of any more insults.  _ Thank God.  _ Another thought joined in shortly, hearing the hushes voices of people who seemed to have little else to do besides snoop into the situation (he wondered what it was about gossip that was so appealing to people).

But also, he couldn’t help but think about how he really shouldn’t have bothered with running errands today - it only seemed to serve him more problems than anything. It would have been such a nice day to sleep in and simply get his work done online instead of going in-person. It was one class and the semester was ending so what did he really have to lose from missing another day that he didn’t need? They ended up doing some work that didn’t need him in class anyway! He could have been comfy in his bed with his dog and not here having to deal with stares he knew were there because whoever this guy was decided to make a scene over something so small.

“I’m so sorry-” the stranger tried to speak, but Antonio had little interest in allowing the conversation to really carry.

He lifted his hand, words around them falling silent and the only noise coming from students who were far enough from where they were that it didn’t matter.

“You’re sorry because I’m blind.” Antonio said, standing up plainly, “Honestly if it would have been a shitty thing to say to  _ me _ specifically it’s probably a shitty thing to say in general. Maybe don’t say it next time. Just a thought.”

_ Where was he even headed right now? His memory was so spotty with how tired he was. He’d just gotten out of Design right? Ugh- _

“Fair. Shit man really, I’m sorry.”

The stranger was still going?

_ Hijo de su puta madre- _

“Look.” Antonio sighed, exasperated beyond belief, “I really...really don’t care right now. I’m really tired. I’m kinda embarrassed from this whole situation and want to go home. And I really don’t want to hear what apology you have for yelling at me over scuffing your shoes, chiquito. So let’s just move on to our next class or home or  _ lo que sea _ and you can think about this before you go to bed or ten years from now or whatever, alright?”

Because it didn’t matter. He’d said what he wanted to say and now all he could think about was how comfortable his bed would be right now and how he could tell Gilbert about this and laugh and do anything but be on campus any longer with this raging headache that was only made worse.

_ “Alright…”  _ Antonio heard the stranger say, but he didn’t stick around to hear anything else.

He just prayed his dog was back now so that he didn't have to experience that again.


End file.
